May is the month of Mary—a month in which the Church calls us to honor Mary by praying the rosary, and drawing into deeper devotion to her by celebrating Marian feast days. How fitting that May is also the month that we honor our earthly mothers; after all, the relationship we share with our own mother is reflected in, and shapes the way we adore and glorify our mother in heaven. That is, if we love and respect our earthly mother as a gift that has been given to us by God to nurture and raise us, how much more should we honor the Queen of heaven, Jesus’s mother, the one whom he glorifies and shares with all of creation? As our spiritual mother, Mary teaches and guides us how to love her son and, thereby, helps us to attain heaven. Can we expect anything more benevolent than that from a mother?
The question often arises how Catholics can love and honor Mary without falling into idolatry. The Church draws a distinction between venerating Mary—which is good and right—and adoration of her, which can lead to idolatry. The difference is, Mary was not a god, but a human creature that was saved from sin. God handpicked her to be his mother and then gave her to humankind at the foot of the cross. He asks us to love her as he did—perfectly, with veneration and with honor.
This month, when we celebrate and thank God for the gift of our earthly mothers, let’s also remember to pray in a special way to the mother who gave us the greatest gift of all, her Son.
